Gate supporting mechanism



June2Q,1933. I N,A GUSACK 1,14,775

GATE SUPPORTING MECHANISM I Filed Feb. 18 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l June 20, 1933. N. A. GUSSACK GATE SUPPORTING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 18 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 14. Gas-swag Patented June 28, 1.953

NATHAN A. GUSSAGK, 033' PLUS NG, I-lEV/".YGE1, ASSIGNOR T9 GRANT ELEVATOR EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, (BF NEE? YQRK, H. '55., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK GATE SUPPOETZNG HECHANISBE Application filed February 18, 1931.

In banks, oiiices and the like, relatively low screens or partitions have become popular. As a consequence a serious problem has arisen with regard to the mounting of the closures. It has been the custom heretofore to have overhead hangers and closing mechanism associated therewith. This, however, does not produce a sight-ly structure in connection with the lower screens or partitions as there must be head room to permit passage through the gateways.

One of the primary ob ects of the present invention is to provide door mountii and closing mechanism so related to the passage way and the gate that the passageway is entirely unobstructed when the is open, the mechanism, however, constituting operating means for closing the gate after it has been opened, and incidentally serving as a check to insure a quiet completion of such closing operation.

A further and important object is to provide a very compact mechanism which will occupy an unnoticeable position, ano which can be built as a complete operative unit, easily mounted and installed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of a bank screen showing the novel mechanism in place. I

Figure 2 is a rear elevation on an enlarged scale of the lower portion of the gate and the operating mechanism, the latter being shown particularly in vertical longitudinal section.

l igure 3 is a front el vation of the mecha nism removed, or in other words, a. reverse arrangement from that disclosed in Figure 2.

Figure t is a vertical cross sectional view on the line 4.% of Figure 2 and on an enlarged scale.

Figures 5 and 6 are longitudinal sectional views respectively on the lines 5 5 and 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 77 of Figure d. c

Figure 8 is a detail longitudinal sectional view through the motor and check device so taken as to show the oil passageways.

Figures 9 and 10 are cross sectional views Serial No. 515,74

respectively on the lines 99 and 10-10 of gure 8.

Figure 11 is a detail perspective view of on of the ball cages and its rack.

neferring initially to Figures 1 and 2 a portion of a bank screen is shown at 12, and throng the same is a passageway 13 closed by a door or gate 14 that reciprocates horizontally alongside the right-hand portion of the screen to respectively open and bar the passageway 13. The upper portion of this closure may have any suitable slidmounting on a guide 15 on the rear side of the righthand panel of the screen.

Secured to the lower or base plate 16 of the 1 as shown at 18 to the plate 16, and having a rearwardly extending right angularly disposed top wall 19. It is furtherire provided with a rear wall 20 carrying it angularl disposed bottom wall 21 rminates at its front edge in av depending flange 22 that lies alongside the lower I f the front wall 17. This front wall is provided with headed studs 23 adapted to he passed through the larger portions of keyhole openings 24 formed in the flange 22. By moving the casing wall 2021 to the left (see Figure the heads will overlie the smaller portions of the key-hole openings 24 and the casing is thus held in place. This casing mcmher 2021 furthermore has a rear wall 25 through which may be passed a' holding screw 26 engaged in a track bar 31, hereinafter ex )lained. As will be noted by reference to Figure 4., the upper edge of the rear wall 20 is spaced from the rear edge of the top wall 19, leaving a slot 27 longitudinally in the top of the casing.

Secured to the bottom of the gate or closure 14 is a. closure-operating device in the form of a plate 28 that depends below the gate 14 (see Figure a) and reciprocates in the slot 27 and consequently in the casing. The lower end of this plate 28 has secured to its front side a horizontal forwardly facing rack 29 and the front wall 17 0f the casing has on its rear side a rearwardly faced rack 30 arranged in opposition to the rack 29. Above the rack there is located a horizontal track bar 31 suitably secured, as shown at 32, to the rear side of the front wall 17. Another horizontal track bar 33 is secured to the front side of the closure-operating plate 28, and is disposed parallel to, but spaced from the track bar 31.

A reciprocatory carriage rides on the track bars 31 an d This carriage consists of upper bars 34 secured on opposite sides to a vertical plate 35 that extends between the track bars 31 and 33 and has secured to its lower margin lower bars 36. In other words the carriage is in the form of a channel or H- shaped bar. Interposed between the upper elements 34 of the carriage and the track bars 31-33 are anti-friction rollers in the form of balls 37, and likewise anti-friction balls 38 are located between the lower sides of the tracks 31 and 32 and the lower elements 36. A gear 39, journaled on a stud 40 projecting from the lower side of the carriage, is in mesh with the racks 29 and 30. Obviously therefore when the gate 14 is moved, the corresponding movement of the rack 29 will cause the rotation of the gear 39 and its travel along the rack 30, thereby moving the carriage. In order to keep the balls 37 and 38 in properly spaced relation and in proper relation to the traveling parts against which they bear, said balls are located in openings 41 of the horizontal flanges 42 of U-shaped cages 43 (see Figures 4 and 11), these cages embracing the tracks 31 and 33. Each cage has de- .pending brackets 44 to which are secured longitudinal racks 45, and said racks are in mesh with a gear 46 of smaller diameter than the gear 39, so that the ball cages 43 will travel at the proper ratio to the movement of the other parts.

Hung from the top wall 19 of the casing by brackets 47 is a check and closer device. This consists, as shown particularly in Figure 8, of a horizontal cylinder 48, in which is a reciprocatory piston 49 having a piston rod 50 that projects through a head 51 of the cylinder where it is suitably packed, as shown at 52. Secured to the external end of the piston rod 50 is a bracket having a rearwardly extending arm 54, on which is journaled a two-part gear 55, the parts being of different diameters. Secured to the top of the carriage, and extending above the same, is a plate 56 carrying a horizontal rack 57 that is in mesh with one part of the gear Another rack 58, secured to the rear side of the front wall 17, is in mesh with the smaller of the gear parts 55. The outward movement of the piston 49 and piston rod 50 is resisted by coiled springs 59 interposed between the piston 49 and the head 51. The cylinder is adapted to contain a checking fluid, for example, oil, and to allow the circulation of the oil and control its movement the following mechanism is provided.

Through the piston head 49 extends a passageway 60 which thus affords communication between opposite sides of the piston. This passageway is controlled by a ball valve. 61 that engages a valve seat 62 and has a limited movement within a chamber 63 formed by the enlargement ofthe passage way 60. A by-pass 64 is formed upon the cylinder 48 and opens at intermediate points into the piston chamber so that it can be passed by the piston in its travel. Another by-pass 65 extends from a portion of the piston chamber containing the springs 59, into a head 66 located on the end of the cylinder opposite to that carrying the head 51 and this passageway 65 opens into a port 67 that is in communication with the left-hand end of the piston chamber. A controlling valve 68, threaded into a packing gasket 69 formed in the head 66, has its inner end movable into the port 67 and across the end of the passageway 65 where it enters the same, so that the area of the passageway 65 can be varied as will be evident.

It is believed that the operation of the apparatus can now be intelligibly explained. Assuming the gate or closure 14 in its operative position across the passageway 13, a person desiring to pass can readily move the gate to the right across the right-hand panel 12 of the screen. lVhcn this is done, the rack 29 carried by the gate moves into the casing, rotating the gear 39 which travels along the stationary rack 30. This causes the carriage to travel in the same direction but at half speed of the rack 29. The movement of the carriage of course correspondingly moves the rack 57 which causes the rotation of the gear 55, and said gear also travels because of its engagement with the stationary rack 58, but here the speed is further reduced because of the relatively small gear section that is in engagement with the rack 58. As a consequence the gear 55 being journaled on the bracket 54, moves the piston to the right as shown in Figure 8, causing the compression of the springs 59. At the same time the oil or other checking fluid that is at the right hand side of the piston can pass freely through the port 60 as the valve 61 will become unscated and after the piston has traversed the left-hand end of the by-pass 64, the check fluid can also flow freely through said by-pass around the piston. It will be noted therefore that while the gate may have a relatively great movement, the check and closer piston through the gearing disclosed has but a small ratio of movement as compared to that of the gate. As soon as the operator releases the gate, the springs 59 are free to react, and will do so, returning the piston to the left and through the gearing, as already explained, effecting the closing movement of the gate. During this movement, however, the pressure of the fluid on the left-hand side of the piston (Figure 9) closes the valve 61 and consequently after the piston has passed the left hand end of the by-pass 64:, the checking fluid that is at the left side of the piston can find egress only through the port 67 and by-pass 65. By adjusting the screw 68, the area of said by-pass can be Varied so as to cut down or increase the rate of flow as desired. The gate is therefore checked as it approaches the completion of its closing movement and will be brought to a stop easily and quietly.

It will be noted that this structure is very compact, and by being placed at the lower end of the gate at the base of the screen, is not only completely out of the way, but is unobtrusive, doing away with the necessity of overhead hangers and eliminating the necessity of a bulky structure placed, for example, on an intermediate portion of the screen or gate. The consequence is that the ornamental features of the partition can be carried out without interference. At the same time it will be obvious that the mechanism is such that it may be employed in various locations. An additional advantage is that a relatively small movement of the closer through the gearing disclosed will permit and effect a relatively great movement on the part of the closure with which it is associated.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim, is:

1. In combination, a casing comprising a rear wall plate for securement to a support, a top wall, a front wall plate having means for detachable securement to the rear wall plate and said top wall providing a slot in the top of the casing, a movable member that operates in the slot and depends within the casing, oppositely extending tracks carried respectively by the rear wall plate and member and located within the casing, a carriage in the casing mounted to reciprocate on the tracks, oppositely disposed racks on the rear wall plate and the movable member, and a gear journaled on the carriage and engaged with the racks.

2. In combination, a casing comprising a rear wall plate for securement to a support and having a forwardly extending flange constituting a top wall, a front wall having its upper edge spaced from said top wall and providing a slot at the top of the casing, said front wall having a rearwardly extending flange at its lower edge forming a bottom wall, and means for detachably securing the said bottom wall to the lower portion of the rear wall plate, a movable member that operates in the slot and depends within the casing, oppositely extending tracks carried respectively by the rear wall plate and member and located within the casing, a carriage in the casing mounted to reciprocate on the tracks, oppositely disposedracks on the rear wall plate and the member, and a gear journaled on the carriage and engaged with the racks.

3. A closure mechanism for placement beneath a closure comprising a fixed support, a movable support that operates alongside the fixed support and is adapted to be secured to the closure, oppositely instanding tracks carried respectively by the fixed and movable supports, a. reciprocatory carriage mounted on the tracks, oppositely disposed racks carried respectively by the fixed and movable supports and located at one side of the tracks,

and a gear on the carriage engaged with the racks, said members providing between them a space for a check and closer in substantially vertical line with the carriage and gear and located on the opposite side of the carriage to the rack.

4:. A closure mechanism for placement beneath a closure comprising an upright fixed supporting plate, a depending reciprocatory supporting plate that operates alongside the fixed plate in spaced relation thereto and is adapted to be secured to a closure, oppositely inset tracks mounted respectively on the plates and located between them, a reciprocatory carriage located between the tracks and having portions overlying and underlying the same, oppositely inset racks mounted respectively on the plates beneath the tracks, a gear journaled on the underside of the carriage and engaged with the racks, fixed and movable racks on the. fixed plate and carriage and located above the carriage between the plates, and a gear operating on the last mentioned racks, said plates providing between them and above the carriage, a space for a check and closer adapted to be connected to the last mentioned gear.

5. A closure mechanism for placement beneath a closure comprising a casing including a rear wall constituting a fixed supporting plate and having an outstanding flange at its top providing a top wall, a front wall whose upper edge is spaced from the top wall providing a slot, said front wall having a rearwardly extending flange forming a bottom wall and secured to the fixed plate, a movable supporting plate depending through the slot into the casing in spaced relation to the fixed wall, oppositely inset tracks mounted respectively on the plates and located between them, a reciprocatory carriage located between the tracks and having portions overlying and underlying the same, oppositely inset racks mounted respectively on the plates beneath the tracks, a gear journaled on the underside of the carriage and engaged with the racks, fixed and movable racks on the fixed plate and carriage and located above the carriage between the plates, and a movable gear operating on the last mentioned racks, said plates providing between them above the carriage a space for a check and closer adapted to be connected to the lastmentioned gear.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

NATHAN A. GUSSACK. 

